The oral transmission of the Quran has long been the subject of dispute. Some scholars have asserted that the canonical reading traditions are products of attempts at deciphering the ʿUthmānic text without reference to a living oral tradition. Although our understanding of the written Quran in early Islam has advanced considerably in recent years, the same cannot be said for the oral Quran. A careful study of the consonantal dotting patterns between the canonical readings reveals independent Medinan, Meccan-Basran, and Kufan (...) regional traditions. Through additional statistical analysis and corresponding manuscript evidence, I demonstrate the existence of an inherited oral tradition that likely dates to the time of the ʿUthmānic recension and among the first generation of the followers of Muḥammad. (shrink)

This study, which is based upon ethnographic data collected between 1999 and 2008 in Nepal, examines the connection between the shaman's altered states of consciousness (ASC; i.e., what goes on inside the healer's mind/brain) and therapeutic changes that take place in the patient's mind/body. Unlike other studies that primarily emphasize the shaman's internal psychological state, this article attempts to explain the role of the healer's ASC and elucidate how desired therapeutic changes depend upon patient–healer interactions. This question is explored in (...) the context of a healing ritual highlighting various aspects of the cosmology of Nepalese shamans. (shrink)